Stress affects around 49 percent of Americans, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health last year. The majority of them are aged 18 to 29 years old, and they slept, ate and exercised less than usual.
Among the top causes of stress are job pressure, money, health, relationships, poor nutrition, media overload and sleep deprivation. Just the thought of suffering from it makes you feel all stressed out, right? But there are tons of other causes and effects. Here’s a report by Olga Khazan, where she covered the ways stress can make you sick, on The Atlantic:
How Stress Makes You Sick
The advice, “Stop worrying! Stress is bad for you” is true, but as with a lot of health guidance, its vagueness makes it less effective.
It’s like when people say that getting lots of sleep is important, or that you should eat more fiber—it’s the kind of thing people might like to do, but will probably keep forgetting to do, because it’s not immediately clear how it will make them healthier. Read more…
To sum it up, cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine are released into your system, and these hormones raise your blood pressure, and damage your blood vessels in the long run. This in turn increases your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancers. Stress also causes mental problems like poor concentration and depression. In worst cases, it can lead to suicide.
So what should you do about these ways stress can make you sick? Transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Eat more healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, as they can improve your mood. Exercise also helps increase feel-good chemicals called endorphins, so you may want to increase your physical activities. Yoga is one of the best exercises that eases stress very well. And of course, get enough sleep!
If you think about it (but not too much!), overthinking is the main reason why it starts, so AVOID OVERTHINKING. However, if you think the thoughts are out of control, ask help from your friends, loved ones, or a qualified mental health care provider.
Image Credit: How Stress Makes You Sick – The Atlantic
The post Proven Ways Stress Can Make You Sick appeared first on NUTRITIONCLUB.
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